Here are some FAQ’s:

Q: What is a catechist?  Why not just call me a teacher?  
A: Your role is to show a love of Jesus!  The role of the catechist is to help pass on the faith of the Church by introducing students to the person of Jesus Christ. We evangelize when we share about Jesus’ life, his death, and how God raised him three days later to new life.  We want our children to have an encounter with the person of Jesus in the community of faith, the Church.

Q: What if I don’t know a lot about the Bible or my faith?
A: We are not called to be expert theologians, but rather witnesses to the person of Jesus.   You will follow a structured lesson plan.  We can look up any answer to a question the kids might come up with, or say “I’m not sure about that, let me get back to you” or check in Wendy, Fr. Tim, or another staff member here to see if they can help you.

Q: I have never prepared a lesson before.  This sounds hard.
A: The lessons you will use will be emailed to you the week ahead of time. They are laid out for you, step by step, and are very easy to follow.  Any materials you need will be gathered for you and be ready and waiting for you. Wendy will make sure that your teaching experience is organized and user-friendly!  In addition, there is teacher training offered in the fall.

Q: I’m not sure I want to do this by myself.  I’d feel better with a partner.
A:  Great!   The Safe Environment requirements by the Archdiocese require two adults in a room of children.  This protects both the children from harm and you.   When two people pair up, you can have one do the majority of teaching and the other be in a supportive role, or you can share the teaching role equally.

Q: If I say yes, how long do I have to do this?
A:  We ask you to make a school year commitment.  Our faith formation year runs from early October to late April.   If you love it, Wendy will jump for joy if you come back again next year. If you don’t, it’s okay. You can go in peace.

Q: What are the class sizes?
A:  Most classes are around 10-12 children.

Q: What happens if the class is uncooperative?
A: You and your partner team are in charge. You set expectations for behavior at the beginning of the year.  You ask children to help come up with the expectations and agree to them.  Simply reminding the class, or the person having some trouble, of the agreed upon expectations is often enough.  You can also ask children to sit in pre-arranged seating, skip snack for the night, or speak with Wendy about an issue that concerns you.  Parents here are supportive and want their child to cooperate with our Volunteer Catechists!

Q: Are there perks to this gig?
A:  There are!   You get reduced tuition, appreciation gifts at Christmas and at the end of the year, recognition at the opening and closing prayer service with the families, and a really good feeling in your heart about what you’ve undertaken.

Q: Okay, what do I have to do?
A: Yay!   You can sign up to volunteer on the website or by calling or emailing Wendy. She will make every effort to honor your choice of grade levels but may ask if you have flexibility to try somewhere you haven’t yet considered.  You will also be asked to get up to date with your Safe Environment/Virtus credentials in the Archdiocese if you are not already.  Staff member Pam Magyar will be reaching out to you with the background check, the code of conduct, and the training module that Virtus has asked all volunteers working with minors to take.  All of this can be done online.  Thank you!!